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Monday, March 23, 2015

Time
fates destiny in “Song One” as Anne Hathaway stars as Franny, an
anthropologist doing research in Morocco, returns to New York when
her brother HENRY (Ben Rosenfield), a young musician, suffers an
accident that leaves him comatose. In a chance instant, a
young musician’s life is abruptly interrupted when Henry, absorbed
in the music playing on his headphones, steps off a curb into the
path of a taxi.

As
she reconnects with her family, she begins to understand and
appreciate the depth of Henry‘s commitment to music, seeking out
the performers and venues that Henry loved. In the course of her
quest, she meets James Forester (Johnny Flynn), Henry’s musical
idol, whose success and fame belie a shy and private man. A strong
romantic connection sparks between Franny and James, set against the
backdrop of Brooklyn’s modern-folk music scene.

The
James Forester Franny sees onstage is charismatic in a modest, folky
way— captivating an adoring crowd with his well-known and
well-loved songs and his plaintive vocals, evocative, personal
lyrics, and multilayered dobro guitar and violin. Offstage, James is
shy but kindly with the fans who press him for autographs and
hugs. Overcoming her embarrassment, Franny approaches James to
tell him Henry’s story and give him a copy of Henry’s CD. In
her quest to absorb as much as she can about to absorb as much as she
can about Henry’s life and the music world he loved, Franny takes
Henry’s notebook as her guide, seeking out artists and venues that
he admired. Franny captures it all with a sound recorder, hoping the
playback in Henry’s hospital room will somehow rouse his brain to
consciousness. Unexpectedly, James shows up in Henry’s
hospital room, guitar in hand. Not only did James actually
listen to the CD, he thought enough of Henry’s talent – and it
seems, of Franny – to come visit.

In
the spirit of stimulating Henry’s brain, James sings him a song, a
sad elegy to a vanished mother. Franny sees that the way
to understand a contradiction like James—private, inward and
self-effacing, yet publicly successful—is through his words and
music. Her great regret is that she never got to know her own brother
in the same way. As the attraction between them begins to
glimmer, James and Franny start to spend late nights together,
exploring music ranging from open mic night to stomping bluegrass to
smoky chanteuse to old-school soul, dancing to high-energy
electronica, pre-dawns on a rooftop and the Greenpoint waterfront
watching the skyline, telling each other their stories, making up
silly songs, falling in love, confiding. Franny confesses that she
cut off contact with Henry because she disapproved of him dropping
out of college to pursue his musical dream, and James admits that he
hasn’t been able to write a single song since his first album
achieved acclaim. James will soon wrap up his tour and
return to his isolated cabin in Maine. Meanwhile, the weight of
Henry’s condition hangs over everything.

As
James’ tour winds down, Franny witnesses two breakthroughs –
Henry’s eyes flickering back to consciousness, and James, in his
last tour show, debuting a new song inspired by Henry and dedicated
to her. Whether her bond with James was a fleeting moment or the
start of a long story, Franny has won her own breakthroughs
too—another chance with family, a love of music, and a more open
heart.